Last Thoughts of an Old Fool
by Tutankhamunfreak
Summary: Iskandar's last thoughts as he reflects on the Kanes... One Shot only. This is just something random I came up with and I don't own TKC or PJO. Please read and rate!


Iskandar was old. Too old in fact. Over many years he had thought to give up on this life, to die quietly and pass on into the afterlife. He was sure that he would find a place in it, even after he everything he had done. Over the years he had felt the House weakening, but pride had forced him to never mention it to the people he guided. Sometimes, he felt that there s_hould_ be a pharaoh, if only for the magicians to stop looking to him for guidance. But, of course, there was nobody to do it.

That is, until he had met the Kane children.

Iskandar had never been one to believe in prophecies even if he did know a few truths to the world. He had been sceptical about Ruby Faust, mainly because the power of divination had been gone from the House for so long, that he believed it to be lost from them. But when a few of the things she had predicted to happen _did_ actually happen, he had started to re-think some things. Even started to re-think his life a little. Had it been a wise choice after all to banish the gods? At the time, it had seemed to be for the best. No one had the power to control them anymore, the Blood of the Pharaohs lost to the ruling elite. He had heard rumours of new gods taking over and his brain had given him the solution; let _them_ argue over what did and didn't happen in this world. Let them take on the responsibilities of ages and control the elements. They weren't even as powerful as their own gods and so couldn't _possibly_ cause as much damage.

Of course, he had been wrong about that too.

He had never admitted that his banishing of the gods was just an act of pure desperation. When they were actually able to do it he had figured that through this change the House would get stronger but it had started to fade away little by little. And so had the Blood of the Pharaohs, the ability to pick out children with the blood becoming more and more difficult over time. But when he had looked upon those children of Ruby and Julius Kane, he was amazed that he had not felt them before. Even under the power of the gods they unknowingly hosted, there was raw, unquestionable _power_ there. And, even more surprising, Iskandar found himself looking upon the boy and knowing that, even as he stood there trying not to shake in the fear of the unknown, this boy was fulfilling another of Ruby's predictions: Egypt would have a king again. It would never be in his lifetime but here he was, standing in front of him, as yet un-aware of the responsibility that would soon rest upon his shoulders.

Oh, yes Iskandar was old. He was old and foolish to not realise that more than one of Ruby's predictions were coming true all at the same time. A king would unknowingly return to the House of Life- Carter Kane had walked into the Hall of Ages with nothing more than the clothes on his back, a sword and his father's magic kit, knowing nothing of his family's illustrious path. The ways of the gods would return- both Carter and Sadie hosted powerful gods, without even _knowing_ it, attesting to the fact that they were powerful. They hosted the gods, but the gods did not control them, even in their state of obliviousness*. And chaos was rising from divisions in the House- a blind man would be able to see the difference between Desjardins' and Zia's reactions, even if Zia was currently a _shabti_ at that precise moment. Yes, Iskandar was a fool and a very old one at that.

But he knew one thing that Desjardins didn't: it was _essential_ that the Kane children survive. They had to complete their mother's predictions, even if they didn't know a thing about her, not really. He knew now why he hadn't been allowed to die until he met those two wondrous children who would bring the House of Life back to its original glory. And it would be Carter who would sit upon the throne and one day rule Egypt like his fore-fathers before him. It was almost a shame (although probably very lucky) that the boy did not know this.

After his talk with Sadie, Iskandar had known. If he were to hold out any longer the children would be in danger and any chance the House had to keep the world from being destroyed by a threat greater than even Set would be gone. It was time to die. His only regret was that he would never see Carter sit upon the throne. He supposed that it would be a glorious sight, one that would show him the glory he had seen only in scrolls and never in his life. But it was worth it if the world would be right. It would be worth it if the children had even the slightest chance of winning, because that meant that the House had the slightest chance to redeem all the damage it had done.

After all, Iskandar had never known Ruby Kane to be wrong. He would hate to be the one to end that fact.


End file.
